Catcher Cal Raleigh and Mariners agree to $105 million, 6-year contract

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This article was published 25/03/2025 (541 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SEATTLE (AP) — Catcher Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners finalized a $105 million, six-year contract on Wednesday.

Raleigh’s deal supersedes a $5.6 million, one-year agreement on Jan. 9 that avoided salary arbitration.

He gets a $10 million signing bonus payable upon the contract’s approval by the commissioner’s office and salaries of $1 million this year, $11 million in 2027, $12 million in 2028 and $23 million in each of the following three seasons.

Raleigh has a $20 million player option for 2031 with a $2 million buyout, and it would become guaranteed if he catches 100 or more games four times from 2025-30, including at least once during the final two seasons.

His option would escalate by $3 million and the buyout by $1.5 million if he twice in the same season is a Gold Glove finalist and finishing among the top 10 in AL MVP voting. The price would go up by an additional $2 million and the buyout by an additional $1.5 million if he accomplishes both those feats three times in the same season.

Raleigh also gets a no-trade provision.

The 28-year-old would have been eligible for arbitration after the 2025 and 2026 seasons, and was on track to be eligible for free agency after the 2027 World Series.

Raleigh set career highs last year with 34 homers and 100 RBIs while hitting .220. He has a .218 career average with 93 homers and 251 RBIs in four seasons with the Mariners.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb